ZeniMax Online’s studio director Rich Lambert and game director Nick Giacomini say The Elder Scrolls Online has seen renewed interest thanks to excitement for Elder Scrolls VI and the favorable response to Oblivion: Remastered.
“We hear that a lot,” Lambert told IGN. He added that at shows and community events players frequently ask about TES VI — questions he has to defer to other teams — which underlines how passionate the fanbase remains.
“People love Elder Scrolls and, for many, ESO has become a go-to place to keep enjoying that world. We’re able to deliver more of what they want,” Lambert said.
Both directors also pointed out a measurable uptick in active players after Oblivion: Remastered launched — many players were introduced (or reintroduced) to the franchise and then sought out more in ESO.
“The Oblivion remaster was significant,” Lambert observed. “We saw a noticeable lift in engagement and a steady increase in player numbers for some time afterward — similar to the interest spike we saw around the Fallout show.”
Giacomini added that ZeniMax Online saw many new and previously inactive players return quickly after the Oblivion remaster’s release, and that the effect persisted for an extended period.
Despite the wider industry upheaval — including the cancellation of ZeniMax Online’s unannounced MMO codenamed Blackbird amid Xbox layoffs over the summer — ESO has remained resilient as it moves through the latter half of its twelfth year.
The studio’s MMO lead still wants to pursue new projects despite Blackbird’s cancellation; as he put it, “I don’t think you can ride one thing into forever.”
Source: gamesradar.com
